Many fluid driven rotary scrub brushes have been devised but only a few of these are being manufactured and sold at the present time.
The most technically advanced rotary scrub brush, now being marketed, is one similar to that disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 1,155,260. The device, by and large, is made of injection molded plastic parts, many of which are glued together. Because of the requirement for gluing, there is a limitation on the type of plastic material that can be used preventing, for example, the use of higher strength plastics.
Briefly, this device has a housing with a top side elongated between a fluid inlet end and an opposite end of the housing. The housing has a circular bottom side facing substantially opposite from the top side with a cavity in the housing and a circular opening through the bottom side to the cavity. The housing has a very low profile and limited internal space as it converges, in cross section between the top side and bottom side, moving towards the opposite end relative to the inlet end. In addition, the housing converges in a transverse direction from a longitudinal center line.
The housing includes a neck portion, extending from a circular portion, through which fluid passes. In addition, a soap dispenser is located in the neck portion from which soap or detergent is dispensed into the fluid. The housing around the opening to the cavity is circular and within the circular opening is placed a water wheel with curved open sided cups or vanes which extend generally radially out from the water wheel. The water wheel is rotatably mounted on a metal shaft which is molded on the inside wall of the housing. The rotary brush is formed as an integral part of the water wheel. Brush bristles on the rotary brush extend out of the opening from the rotor. Annular shaped fixed brush bristles extend around the opening and the rotary brush. A nozzle is located in the neck portion and dispenses fluid (water and detergent) against the vanes of the water wheel, thereby rotating the water wheel and hence the rotary brush.
A fluid passing swivel has one swivel part connected to the throat portion of the housing and another part connected to a fluid conduit.
The housing is constructed in three parts. A top housing portion is elongated having a generally tear drop shape from the top and has a semi-circular portion and an inlet portion. A combined lower housing portion and fixed brush is elongated having a semi-circular portion and an inlet portion. The semi-circular portion contains the opening to the cavity and brush bristles are mounted in the lower housing. The lower housing is glued to the lower side of the upper housing to form the completed housing. During the gluing process an elongated nozzle is bonded from three parts and bonded into the upper and lower housing. A soap reservoir is made up of bonded parts in the lower housing. A knob with a needle point controls the amount of soap being dispensed from the reservoir to the nozzle as it dispenses fluid to the vanes on the water wheel.
The housing is connected to a fluid conduit by means of a fluid passing swivel that has one part connected to a coupling which is bonded around a cylindrical portion of the inlet portion for the housing. The swivel has a second tubular shaped coupling which is bonded around the fluid conducting conduit. In addition to bonding or gluing the various parts of and in the housing, the tubular coupling is glued in order to affix it around the upper and lower housing portion.
All of the parts of the housing, the nozzle, the reservoir and the swivel are entirely plastic molded parts except for the metal shafts molded in its upper housing for mounting the combined water wheel and rotary brush, the metal shaft molded into one of the parts of the swivel, and a metal clip to hold the combined water wheel and brush base on the shaft.
Several problems have arisen with this construction, for example, bonding or gluing substantially increases costs and restricts the type of plastic materials that can be used to a lower strength plastic. High fluid pressures are encountered in the soap reservoir. Therefore, good glue joints are quite critical.
It has also been found that during the assembly process the parts of the housing are somewhat difficult to store and stack. For example, the integrally formed fixed brush base and lower housing is quite difficult to stack, creating difficulties during assembly.
It has also been found that problems arise where water supply pressures is low and/or inconsistent as low and/or inconsistent output power or torque to the rotary brush results.
It is also difficult for the user to replace the rotary brush and the water wheel must be replaced along with the brush.
Also, a special deflector is required to reduce the amount of water being thrown out, by the combined rotating water wheel and brush, for example, transversely towards the user. Thus, a more even distribution flow of water down around the rotary brush for scrubbing purposes is desired.
Further, there has been a long need for allowing the user to, not only use the rotary scrub brush head, which is rotatable with the use of the swivel, but to provide a spray of water for cleaning in close spaces and at acute angles to the fluid conduit.
In addition to the need for increasing magnitude and consistency of the output power, it is desirable to provide a rotary brush which can be used in immersed conditions, for example, for cleaning the sides of pools and the like. Increased power output can be obtained by placing gearing between the water wheel and the rotary brush. However, this is difficult to achieve in the limited space available in the housing. Also, exposed gearing or other moving parts are undesirable because foreign particles can get wedged between the gears and the exposed gears can cause damage to fragile paint surfaces and alike and to the user.
The overall shape and appearance of the housing is of a distinctive design which is unique to the products of the assignee in this case and must be retained even though the aforementioned problems must be overcome.
In addition to the Canadian patent, other patents are known which have a generally elongated housing between an inlet and an opposite end. By way of example, note the following: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,759,208 to Williams, Nicholson 4,089,079, Zhadanov 4,228,558, Spence 4,327,454, Gonzalvo 4,370,771, Keddie 4,513,466; and the German patent Offenlegungsschrift No. 13645.
Various techniques have been used for increasing the power output from fluid driven water wheels. By way of example, one group of devices are known in which the vanes on the water wheels are ribbed to assist in the placement of water, however, the sides of the vanes on opposite sides of the ribs are closed, see for example Richwood U.S. Pat. No. 890,709 and the chapter entitled "Hydraulic Turbines by R. M. Donaldson" appearing in Marks Engineering Handbook by Marks & Bauemister, published by McGraw & Hill Book Co., 1958. In other water wheel designs the cups are flat or curved but do not have ribs. See for example the water wheels in the above identified Canadian patent; the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,019,705 to Hubert, Batlas et al 2,717,403, Man-King 3,869,746, Bryerton 4,060,871, Sekula 4,207,640, Malcolm 4,279,051 and Daniels, 4,290,160; the Austrian Pat. No. 195863 and the Japanese Pat. No. 52-45163 (4/9/77). The Smith U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,281 discloses closed vanes or holes. Puddling of water on the water vanes and, therefore, reduced output power are problems with these water wheel patents.
One group of fluid driven rotary scrub brushes or the like are known which have a housing with a cavity therein that contains a fluid driven water wheel which in turn drives a rotary brush mounted exterior to the housing. Gearing is provided to increase the power between the water wheel and the rotary brush, some or all of which is external to the housing. Note, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 661,277 to Rix and to Spence 4,327,454. The problem of external moving parts mentioned above is applicable to these devices.
The Gonzalvo U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,771 has separate cavities for the water wheel and the rotary brush and its size is not a restriction.
Other rotary brushes are known that have a fluid driven water wheel within a cavity, with a rotary brush, driven by the water wheel, external to the cavity. The axis of rotation of the water wheel is on the opposite side of the axis of rotation of the rotary brush from the fluid inlet to the cavity or housing with the water wheel. Nozzles or passages are required to conduct the fluid from the fluid inlet over to the water wheel, thus making it difficult to reduce the size of the housing. See for example the U.S. Pat. Nos. 661,277 to Rix and to Boyle 2,540,240. Along these same general lines note the U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,454 to Spence.
In addition to the Canadian patent mentioned above, there are a large group of rotary brushes and alike that have a water wheel in a cavity of the housing in direct drive with the rotary brush without any gearing, some where the rotary brush is within and some outside of the cavity. Note, for example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 846,636 to Wensinger, Patrick 919,756, Masser 1,375,102, Emerson 1,813,569, Karas 2,284,213, Chiaie 2,514,934, Williams 2,759,208, Swearngin 2,918,686, Williams 3,074,088, Williams 3,153,799, Frandsen 3,431,573, Gaudio 3,813,721, Kadlub 4,155,137, Zhadanov 4,228,558, Malcolm 4,279,051, Zhadanov 4,374,444, Floros 4,417,826, Smyth 4,471,503, Watanabe 4,531,250 and Smyth 4,532,666.
A group of devices are also known that have a combined water wheel and water wheel gear and a combined rotary brush and rotary brush gear, all coaxially mounted with side gearing to connect the water wheel gear to the rotary brush gear. The rotary brush in some is contained within and some outside of the cavity. Note, for example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,678,457 to Demo, Alpert 2,797,132, Keddie 4,513,466 and Mostul 4,461,052, the W. German patent to Offenlegungsschrift No. (Dec. 31) 13645A1, and the Swiss patent to Schrift No. 436,216. Replacement of the brush requires replacement of gearing in these devices.
Water wheel driven rotary brushes are also known which have a plate or other member that is rotated by the water wheel on which means is provided for removably mounting the rotary brush to the rotary plate or member. Attachment is by screws, clips, studs and washers, key slotted rings, cotter pins and thumb screws. Note for example the U.S. Pat. Nos. 661,277 to Rix, Light et al. 1,212,967, Young 1,479,272, Karas 2,284,213, Boyle 2,540,240, Sears 2,659,915, Batlas et al. 2,717,403, Williams 2,759,208, Williams 3,074,088, Williams 3,153,799, Frandsen 3,431,573, Gaudio 3,813,721, Lanusse 3,943,591, Kadlub 4,155,137, Sekula 4,207,640, Malcolm 4,279,051, Spence 4,327,454; the Austrian Pat. No. 195863; Canadian Pat. No. 1,155,260 and Japanese Pat. No. 52-45163 (4/9/77). One such device has a bayonet type or detent locking mechanism. Note the U.S. Pat. No. 2,514,934 to Chiaie that discloses a rotary scrub brush having an interchangeable rotary brush which utilizes a spring biased ball to removably attach the rotary brush to a drive hub. Problems presented in the Chiaie device include the large number of separate parts, compared with an embodiment of the present invention, the likelihood that parts may become hard to deactuate and even freeze making removal of the rotary brush difficult and the difficulity of grabbing hold of any part of the rotary brush, except the bristles, for removal. Also, the device does not lend itself to all or nearly all plastic molding of the parts increasing cost of manufacture.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,678,457 to Demo, discloses a device where the rotary brush is connected to the member rotated by the water wheel using large headed bolts which insert into large diameter apertures and are rotated to smaller diameter apertures where an interference parallel with the axis of rotation is formed.
Disadvantages applicable to one or more of the devices discussed in the preceeding two paragraphs include inability or difficulty to manufacture injection molded plastic parts, relative high cost of manufacture, difficulty of removing the rotary brush and the need to prevent rotation by holding the rotary brush, gearing or water wheel in order to unlock or remove the rotary brush.
One device has a ring shaped cover that holds the water wheel in place on a rotatable shaft. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,466 to Kiddie. However, removal of the cover allows other internal parts to come loose and fall out.
Another type of device has a rotary brush that snaps in place on a shaft and is removable by pulling the brush parallel with the shaft. However, the brush is directly rotated by gearing connected directed to the rotary brush. See U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,747 to Higdon.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,019,705 to Hubert discloses a rotary brush base where a keyed hub slips around a keyed boss which in turn is driven by a water wheel. A spring loaded ball detent retains the hub and water wheel in place on the boss. With this device the rotary brush base snaps in place and is removed by pushing the brush parallel with the axis of rotation and pulling it parallel with the axis of rotation snapping the device in place or out of place. However, this device makes it hard to remove the brush due to the constant friction and drag of the ball detent and it is difficult at best to form from injection molded parts.
Other miscellaneous fluid driven tools are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,212,967 to Eichelberger, Young 1,479,272, Sears 2,659,915, Grikscheit 2,708,599, Hidgon 2,933,747, Vivion 3,760,447, Coleman 3,910,265, Lanusse 3,943,591, Nicholson 4,089,079 and Schulz 4,103,381.
The U.S. Pat. Nos. 630,600 to Durant, Broderick 639,348 and Muend 1,765,693 disclose fluid passing swivel joint as does the above referenced Canadian patent.
One device is disclosed in the June 12, 1985 issue of the Chicago Tribune and contains a unitary plastic housing having an inlet at one side. A tubular fluid supply conduit is fastened around the inlet portion by detent locking means. A fixed base brush has mounted therein to a water wheel and a directly connected rotary brush. The fixed circular brush ring is mounted around the opening to the housing by a detent interlocking arrangement, which is operated by rotating the brush ring. When mounted the water wheel is inside of the cavity of the housing and the rotary brush is just outside of and faces away from the cavity of the housing. The water wheel has cupped shaped vanes with a ridge along the center extending radially outwards and closed sides on opposite sides of the ridge. A nozzle extends out of the opening from the fluid supply tube and directs fluid into the vanes rotating the water wheel and the rotary brush.